June 3, 2015—Pharmacare

June 3, 2015—Pharmacare

In the spring of 2014, the Senate Liberals opened our Caucus doors to Canadians. Through our Open Caucus initiative we are learning, discussing and debating issues of national importance. This effort is hosted by the Senate Liberal Caucus but is intended to be non-partisan. All parliamentarians will be invited, as well as members of the press and the general public.

On June 3rd we held a meeting on pharmacare. Many groups have advocated for a national pharmacare plan. Some even suggest that a national plan could save taxpayers billions of dollars a year. But is this the right approach? If so, how would the plan be designed? What would the impact be on health care systems and on patients?

We invited a panel of experts to answer these and other questions, and also to offer their thoughts on how Canada should approach the issue of pharmacare.

Witnesses included:

Steven Morgan, professor of health policy at the University of British Columbia

Brett Belchetz, practicing emergency room physician in Toronto, former management consultant with McKinsey and Company